Green Spaces

Huge flocks of flamingos as well as other species of birds are being spotted on the banks of Sabarmati, bang in the middle of the city, for the first time this season. Riverfront development officials say that cleaning and bioremediation of the river have made this possible.

Seema Adgaonkar, one of the four Range Forest Officers at the Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit until recently, has been guarding the city’s vital mangroves that act as a natural barrier against sea level rise and coastal flooding.

Open space available to the average Mumbaikar is 1.28 sq m as against international standards of 11 sq m. And to make matters worse, a large chunk of public space is taken up by cars and spaces meant for cars.

Photos of the devastated city and the massive damage to tree cover in Bhubaneswar wrought by Cyclone Fani

In Pune, an upcoming elevated metro line poses threat to Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, which houses over 100 species of birds and 30 species of butterflies. Meanwhile, citizen groups are pushing for the sanctuary’s conservation

Several infrastructure projects are coming up in Mumbai, that could irrevocably damage the city’s coastline and green spaces. While environmentalists allege that projects were announced without public discussion and ignoring the environmental impact, political parties brush aside these concerns

In the face of rapid urbanisation, it is essential to not only escalate plantation drives, but also design participatory forestry programmes that are sustainable, people-friendly and self-driven.

What are the illnesses that take the highest toll of lives in our cities? What causes them? Take a look at findings from the latest trends in urban health and disease burden and do your best to keep yourself in good health.

46 percent of municipal solid waste generated in the capital is left unprocessed. Landfill sites are filled beyond capacity, with the height of Ghazipur dump now just eight metres less than that of the national monument. A parliamentary panel has taken strong exception to the inaction of the environment ministry and the Delhi government.

Kolkata’s green index is in a downward spiral. But the builders, organisations and residents are waking up to the reality, and that’s the hope for better future.

Green cover keeps declining year after year in most Indian cities. Improvement, if seen, is only marginal. What can be done to reverse this?

The writer pays a visit to the famous Lodhi Gardens in Delhi and returns with lovely memories and a window to how public gardens should be maintained.